Going green: Union is tops again in national recycling competition

Students sift through trash during last year's trash audit, one of the many events on campus that teaches students about recycling. (Christen Gowan/Communications)

Union took home top honors again this year in Recyclemania, a
collegiate recycling competition to promote campus involvement in green
initiatives.

The College won two first place awards: one in the Per
Capita category and another in the Cardboard category. Students collected 61.79
pounds of recyclables per student on campus, the most of any college in the
country. About 30 pounds per person of corrugated cardboard was gathered,
garnering Union top honors in that category as well.

"We are
all very excited to come out on top again in this national competition,” said
Jeff Corbin, assistant professor of biology and faculty co-chair for the U-Sustain
committee. “It is a testament to the environmental community that we have
created here on campus.”

Corbin also
credited the Facilities Department for creating the infrastructure on campus to
foster a recycling culture. Laura MacManus-Spencer, assistant professor of
chemistry, is U-Sustain’s other faculty co-chair.

“We’re doing an
excellent job at recycling when compared to our peer institutions,” said Kyle
Lanzit ’13, the committee’s student co-chair. “We need to be proud of Union's
sustainability efforts and keep improving.”

To see the
results from all 605 colleges and universities nationwide, click here.